The intraocular lens (IOL) implant was a technological breakthrough developed by Harold Ridley of England in 1950. Ahead of his time, he faced intense resistance from the academic community -- as did many pioneering cataract surgeons over the next three decades. Shunned from medical meetings, implant surgeons formed IOL societies to advance the science.

The first society, co-founded by Ridley himself, was the Intra-Ocular Implant Club in 1966. The second IOL society was founded in the US in 1974: the American Intra-Ocular Implant Society, A year later, the European Implant Lens Council was formed as an amalgamation of the European national IOL societies. During that era, New York City was (and still is) a hotbed of cataract surgery innovation, home to the founder of phacoemulsifcation, Charles Kelman, and in 1978 the NYIOLIS was formed. It is believed to be the 4th oldest, still running IOL society in the world.

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Timeline

1966 - Intra-Ocular Implant ClubNow the International Intra-Ocular Implant Club (IIIC)283 current international members

1974 - American Intra-Ocular Implant SocietyNow the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). 9000 current international members.

1975 - European Implant Lens CouncilNow the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ESCRS).5000 current international members.

Today, ASCRS and ESCRS are the world's largest international organizations for cataract and refractive surgeons with open memberships. The IIIC and the NYIOLIS have retained their prestigious, invite-only exclusivity into the present day. The NYIOLIS memberships is comprised of pioneers in the field of ophthalmology, including 5 past presidents of ASCRS.

New York IOL Implant Society Officers

2017-2019 Term

Howard Kornstein, MD

President

Howard Kornstein practices in White Plains and is the current society president

Mark Pyfer, MD

Vice President

Hailing from the greater Philadelphia area, Mark Pyfer is the current treasurer

Cynthia Matossian, MD

Treasurer

Cynthia Matossian practices in NJ and PA

Herbert Gould, MD

Founding Secretary

One of the original founders of the society in 1978, Herbert Gould has maintained meticulous meeting minutes for decades.